I know there's a thread that was just posted about behavior for house guests, but I'm in search of advice for every day at home with me.
My 1 year old his a jumper. Weather I leave the house for an hour or am home all day, he constantly feels the need to jump on me and give me kisses. Normally I don't mind and he is fine when we have visitors. It seems to be only me he does this with. He doesn't seem to have much control over his weight and me being a tiny woman it feels as if I'm about to be knocked down. I'm pregnant at the moment and will be due in about 7 weeks. I worry he may knock me down with the new baby.
Any tips on getting this to stop?

Dogs jump on you for many different reasons. In general, it could be translated as "Let us - (do this and that)!" and they jump in order to be at your level. They do it absolutely in the same way to other dogs, but they don't have to jump, just stand on back legs to encourage other dog to follow them, to engage in some play, or simply stimulate for faster action. You trained your dog to kiss you yourself, so, now you get the best results. On one hand that is good, because it demonstates a relationship between the inferior (your dog) and the superior (you). Kisses, as we recognize them are characteristic to humans only, for dogs kisses indicate their position in the hierarchy. Young puppies lick their mother's chin and cheeks asking her for food, they cannot digest meat and their mother regurgitate it for them semi-digested. Other members of wolf/dog pack feed them as well, in this case licking means "Feed me!" Later in the puppies' age this behaviour continues and it means "Please, be nice to me!" or "I agree, that you are older, stronger and better than me!". It will stop automatically with puberty, if not encourages. By mouthfeeding my dogs time to time, allowing them or asking them to kiss me I always tried to remind them who they are in relationship to me regardless of their age.
So, in your dog, there is a mixture of two things: 1) servility and appreciation expressed in kissing; 2) a wish to stimulate you to act, expressed in jumping, from which I can draw a conclusion that your dog is very eager to play with you. You probably, cry, shout at him, push him away, or try to hide your pregnant front - and he recognizes it as a sort of play. Everything you can do, just change the way you play with him (sure, it is not a joke for you, but for him it is a game). Your dog is eager to get your attention, don't give it to him for free. I hope, you are still capable to crouch in fron of him. Only he starts it - ask him to sit, crouch and allow him to kiss you. He musn't get up, ask him to sit if he wants to be close to your face. "Sit!" in a lovely quiet voice. He wants to please you - ask him to bring you your slippers. Train him to bring you different things, don't worry, the majority of dogs can identify up to 300 different objects by name. More you involve him in home training - better he will become. Kyra Sundance in her "101 dog tricks" provides a very good explanation how to train your dog at home, this book is for free and you can easily find it on the net.

SummerGSDLover

02-05-2014 02:37 PM

Quote: "By mouthfeeding my dogs time to time, allowing them or asking them to kiss me I always tried to remind them who they are in relationship to me regardless of their age."

:eek:

*-*Summer*-*

OriginalWacky

02-07-2014 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SummerGSDLover
(Post 4970082)

Quote: "By mouthfeeding my dogs time to time, allowing them or asking them to kiss me I always tried to remind them who they are in relationship to me regardless of their age."

:eek:

*-*Summer*-*

That was my exact face too! Then I did this. :headbang:

OP, here is a video that is really helpful for teaching a dog not to jump:

Once my dogs figured out that keeping 'four on the floor' was the rule, then I made it a default sit, and now when Krissie wants attention from anybody, she runs up and plants her butt on the ground (still wiggling though, that tail doesn't stop).

brebrehj

02-07-2014 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OriginalWacky
(Post 4981986)

That was my exact face too! Then I did this. :headbang:

OP, here is a video that is really helpful for teaching a dog not to jump:

Once my dogs figured out that keeping 'four on the floor' was the rule, then I made it a default sit, and now when Krissie wants attention from anybody, she runs up and plants her butt on the ground (still wiggling though, that tail doesn't stop).